IS 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



13. Xyris sipapoa Maguire & Smith, sp. nov. Fig. 4, A-F. 



Herbae caulescentes, perennes ( ?) ; caudice ad 3 cm longo, subinde ramoso; 

 foliis distincte distichis, 10-25 cm longis, margine incrassatis et minute denseque 

 albido-ciliatis, alibi glabris; vaginis cum laminis confluentibus, basi abrupte 

 lateque suborbiculari-dilatatis, brunneis lucidisque ; laminis abrupte falcato- 

 acutis, 3-6 mm latis; scapo 15-50 cm alto, 1.0-1.5 mm lato, parum compresso, 

 costa unica pubescenti praedito; vagina scapi 6-18 cm longa, breviter foliaceo- 

 laminata; spica oblongo-subglobosa, 10-12 mm longa, multiflora; bracteis haud 

 decussatis, castaneis, laevibus, infimis suborbieularibus, alteris oblongis, apice 

 carinatis breviter mucronatisque, conspicue hyalinis, per aetatem fimbriatis; 

 sepalis anguste lanceolatis, acutis, 6-7 mm longis, bracteas paulo superantibus, 

 ca. 1/3 connatis, carinatis, obscure ciliatis ; placentis basilaribus (?) ; seminibus 

 ca. 0.8 mm longis, ca. 0.2 mm latis, anguste oblongo-ellipticis, gradatim attenu- 

 atis et apice apiculatis, nigris, obscure costatis. 



Fig. 4. Xyris sipapoa. A, sheath apex, X 5. B, blade apex, X 5. C, scape section, x 5. 

 D, spike, X 2.5. E, sepal, X 5. F, seed, X 30. 



Type. Frequent, banks of lower Cano Negro along open savannas, alt. 1400 

 m, Cerro Sipapo, 25 Dec 1948, Amazonas, Venezuela, Bassett Maguire & Louis 

 Politi 27911 (holotype NY, isotype US). Paratypes. Cerro Sipapo : frequent in 

 bog savanna, terraces south of Cano Negro, alt. 1600 m, Maguire & Politi 28194; 

 Campo Grande, alt. 1500 m, Maguire & Politi 27684. 



Distribution. Known only from Cerro Sipapo, but there commonly dis- 

 tributed. 



X. sipapoa is to be associated with and is most closely related to X. sub- 

 montana, known only from the summit of Mt. Roraima on the British Guiana- 

 Venezuelan frontier. X. sipapoa is distinguished superficially from X. submon- 

 tana by the longer coarser caudex, more conspicuous broader sheath-bases, 

 marginally pubescent leaf -blades (glabrous in the latter), larger, oblong- 

 subglobose rather than depressed-subglobose heads, longer, less scarious-mar- 

 gined, smooth bracts, which in X. submontana (in the type) are strongly granu- 

 late, and in the narrower, longer sepals that exceed the bracts. 



14. Xyris stenophylloides Malme, Bull. Torrey Club 58: 323. 1931. 



Type. Gorge of Cano Negro, Savanna Hills, growing in tussocks, Cerro 

 Duida, Amazonas, Venezuela, alt. 4000 ft, Tate 808 (NY). 



